Dark Aura, Pure Power
by FrozenFreljord
Summary: When Syndra died, no one batted an eyelid. But when Syndra was revived, she gained the two powers that all power-hungry megalomaniacs need: Insurmountable power and Immortality. When Syndra takes on the world, against the impossible force, surely the world will bend, right? May be romance later but not romance centric.
1. Chapter 1

_Syndra called out to her Master excitedly, 'Master, Master! I found a fascinating spell! It says that it will make me immortal!'_

 _Kiln rushed to his younger disciple's side, and quickly snatched the book from her hands and slammed it shut. 'No, no Syndra. You must not attempt this. Where did you find such a book?'_

' _It was in the corner of the library, Master!' Syndra beamed at her Master._

 _Her master's eyebrow furrowed and he shook his head at Syndra. 'Syndra. Do not look for this book again. This is forbidden magic. No one was supposed to find it. It is both far too dangerous and far too difficult for you to attempt. Go back to your room, Syndra. If you attempt this magic, I will be forced to seal your magic.'_

 _Syndra couldn't believe what she was hearing. What was wrong with magic that helped you live longer? Did Master not want her to live longer? And why would it be too difficult for her to cast? She had an amazing capacity for magic, and she was the most talented mage that trained in this temple. Everything that she learnt here was easy, so why wouldn't this spell also be easy?_

 _And sealing her magic? How dare he threaten something that belonged to her, something that he had no right to take. It was_ her _magic, and it was she who decided what she did with it._

 _Did he want to limit her potential? She could not let this go. She had to accomplish this, to prove that she was not weak; that she was better than everyone he compared her to._

 _As Syndra slipped out of her room in the middle of the night, there was only one thing on her mind._

 _-o-_

 _Syndra stood in her room, book in her hand. She read the spell instructions carefully, arranging the runes according to the diagram. She laid the runes out in front of her, a complex formation of symbols and shapes. Syndra wiped the sweat that was gathering at her forehead. She was ready to cast the spell._

 _She started to mutter in a husky voice, her rising voice beginning to echo off the walls of her bedroom._

Odda wan ae byer ga sa no a yelo sta a die rasa ei da ba lyph ta. Opha de tiez em…

 _Her eyes began to glow slightly, her normally ochre eyes melting into a milky brown, the runes that lay before her started to glow a pale blue. One by one, they levitated off of the floor, rotating around Syndra like the planets around their star. As she continued to chant, the air around her grew and grew with thickness, magic saturating the atmosphere around them._

 _Syndra could feel the magic draining out of her quickly, her energy was quickly depleting. But she had gone much too far to give up now. She had to keep going, had to see it through, for better or for worse._

 _She started to feel the wear on her body. She was beyond exhausted, but for the sake of her pride and to show her Master that she_ could _do it, she would._

 _The sheer magical force it took to channel this spell made it possible to be felt for miles in all directions. And this did not pass by her Master. He woke up and immediately ran to the centre of this maelstrom of energy, only to find Syndra sitting in the middle, eyes closed and snarling._

 _Syndra opened her eyes and smirked maliciously at her Master, knowing she was able to accomplish what these weaklings could not. She was not so inferior as to be equal to these pathetic beings. She was the one who had gained immortality, not the lowly peasants that tried to stop her. As if to prove a point, she increased the magical flow, just for a second, to prove to her shocked master that she_ could.

 _Master started to walk towards Syndra before a wave of pure magical energy blasted him back, before slowly sucking in the energy from him. He could only watch on as the spell became stronger and stronger, all the while watching as magical energy from not just Syndra, but slowly everything surrounding them, from the plants and animals, to the other students and teachers sleeping peacefully not far away._

 _Syndra smiled balefully when she saw her former master collapse beneath the force of her power. But she knew that she could not maintain the spell for much longer. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. The charged atmosphere pulsed for a second… and then another._

 _The magic then exploded._

 _As blackness filled her vision, she smiled._

 _The unconsciousness washed over her, she knew she had won._

 _-o-_

 _Irelia stood at the edge of the crater, staring at the ruins that used to be the School of the Gifted. She had no idea what happened, only that the temple collapsed during the explosion. Inside, the two that had perished that stood out the most was the death of Elder Terzin, and the pupil that he both looked after and restrained. The most gifted mage to every have walked the plains of Ionia, Syndra._

 _There were only two survivors, and those two had no idea what happened. They were patrolling the parameter of the temple when the school suddenly exploded. They had no idea as to exactly_ why _the temple exploded, but it was evident that no one survived the explosion. The blast had cleared the landscape for half a mile in all directions, the remains of the school strewn haphazardly across the field._

 _However, the basement was not blown away, as it was underground, but it appeared to have collapsed upon itself, as a sort of a memento of the whole incident, marking the center of the explosion. Someone could have survived, but when they investigated the basement, it was buried under hundreds of tonnes of stone, so they all agreed that finding survivors in this wreck was a lost cause._

 _Ionia had a memorial service for the unfortunate incidence, for the magically gifted children of Ionia and the Elder and teachers that perished alongside them. Along with these people, potentially the largest magical powerhouse in the history of Runeterra perished along with them. The service was not large, nor was it small, although this event would go down in history as one of the most important events ever to have occurred in Ionia, and possibly Valoran._

 _The Ionian Council decided the leave the wreckage was it was, purely out of respect for the dead. They decided to build a large stone staff, the Staff of Wisdom, as memorial shrine in front of the ruins, to show the location of were the tragedy struck, and to etch a few prayers to the heavens for the safety of the departed._

 _And in the distant future, when everything was bright and right again, this place will be called the Tombstone, but it was not call that due to it being the Tombstone for over a hundred dead innocents, it was called that for one and one person only._

 _-o-_

Irelia was sitting in her room, talking to Riven. Riven, having been a vagabond for over three years had finally taken to settling in Ionia. Although Riven's move into Ionia had been met with apprehension and unease, after countless times where Riven and Irelia had worked together to fend off invading forces (like Noxian attacks), the Ionian populace have slowly accepted the wanderer into their midst.

It was not uncommon to see the two together, as they have developed a tight-knit friendship over time. They often journeyed together, travelling to faraway places to do jobs, and to act as an ambassador to Ionia. Riven was often seen as an emblem, a representation of the forgiving nature of the Ionian people. How does one show their kindness better than by opening their arms to a former enemy of their country?

Ionia has recovered well after the war, slowly reaching the pinnacle of influence and success. Other nations have become more passive, other than the political meatheads of Runterra, Demacia and Noxus. Both have developed substantially, both their magic and weaponry have reached new levels of effectiveness, both city-states hell-bent on obliterating each other.

Piltover and Bandle City are expanding in their own ways, with Piltover becoming more progressive than ever and Bandle city… really hasn't changed much.

Bilgewater's business is roaring, soaring along with the other city-states' development. And Zaun is… doing whatever they are doing. Probably growing another megalomaniac that aims to have Runeterra under its iron grip. Not unlike the megalomaniac that Riven used to work under.

Riven had not been listening, although she was sure that she should have been. Irelia was once again talking about the Elders again, the Elders that seem much too ancient for their own good. Bar Karma, of course. Irelia slumped in her chair, sighing into the pillow that she was hugging. Only Riven has seen this side of her. This side of Irelia that reminded her of the fact that she was in fact still a teenager, only nearly escaping from her teens. While she herself was only a few years older than the Captain, she was happy to see another who was forced to grow up too early.

'I don't want to do anything today. I don't want to go to the meetings, I don't want to listen to the old men and women fight among themselves. I don't wanna!' said a mop of raven hair mashed into the pillow.

Riven smiled at this display. She smiled fondly, remembering the many times that she had listened to this phrase. No matter how many times she hears, she felt privileged that Irelia trusts her enough to show this side of herself to Riven.

Three sharp raps at the door captured their attention, and the odd amalgamation of hair and cushion groaned, pleading to Riven.

'Could you please get the door, honey?'

Riven rolled her eyes. It wasn't like they were dating, but Irelia had always called her that, and no matter how many times she told Irelia to just call her name, she would always ignore her. She even insisted on doing this occasionally in public, so it was not wonder that the Ionian public always got the wrong idea.

Riven strolled to the door, and opened the door to see a young boy holding a scroll. The young boy cleared her throat and began.

'The Elders Council has requested the presence of the Captain of the Guard due to an urgent matter that must be dealt with as soon as possible. This is of very high importance and could escalate into a situation that could be beyond control and-'

Riven snatched the scroll from the boy's hand and thanked him, before slamming the door in the shocked young boy's face.

'Thanks. Bye!'

The young boy stared bemusedly at the wooden door, eyes boring into the oaken slab, as he thought to himself 'Were they doing something private? Did I interrupt at a bad time?'

-o-

Irelia sauntered down the hall to the boardroom, the invitation in hand. Every time that absolutely anything came up, they exaggerated immensely. It was probably nothing. It was always nothing. Most likely it was that something was stolen from a historical site.

'Something was stolen from a historical site.'

Irelia sighed.

'So why was I called? Does every little thing that happens around here have to be reported to me?'

'Because it is serious.'

'Like every other monument stolen from historical sites.'

'So remember the monument that we erected to remember the Shati Blast, the one that took down the School for the Gifted? The ruins were stolen.'

Irelia narrowed her eyes, squinting at Karma, who stared at her seriously. 'What do you mean the ruins were _stolen_? Ruins can get blown up, or demolished, but it simply doesn't get _stolen_. Ruins don't get _stolen._ Do you mean the ruins were vandalised and the importantness of ruins were hurt?'

Karma sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. 'Irelia, importantness isn't… Well, it was literally stolen. That's why it is so mysterious. It makes no sense as to who could have done such a thing. Not to mention why. The ruins are not worth anything, so why would it get stolen?'

'Another thing is that the Staff of Wisdom that was erected as part of the memorial is missing.'

Irelia sighed, groaning. 'Not that too.'

As they were mulling over what could have happened, a page boy ran, screaming his head off towards them. He was sobbing and crying, tears pouring down his face in a waterfall of bitterness and fear. 'There's… there's…'

A blast rocked the conference centre, distinct rumbling echoing through the building. Irelia tensed up, grabbed Karma and the young, bawling page boy and dashed out of the and into the wide open courtyard. And not a moment too soon. The hall that they were standing in a moment ago was crushed by a massive pillar.

Irelia panted, squinting at the pillar that almost crushed them. She stared intently until she realised what it was.

'Karma, does that pillar belong to the ruins that we thought were stolen?'

Karma, the ever the master of emotions, had the eyes closed and clearly thinking deeply.

'Yes. But how did these ruins get here?'

Irelia nudged Karma nervously, pointing at the sky.

'Karma. The answer is literally right in front of us.'

'The answer may be more complicated-'

'Damnit, open your eyes Karma.'

'They are open to the world-'

'STOP THINKING AND LOOK IN THE SKY!'

'You should try thinking once in a while, Irelia.' Karma snarled, slowly opening her eyes. 'It would do you some- WHAT.'

Karma stopped abruptly, brain trying to process what was happening.

A huge shadow was cast over the hall, as large pieces of temple floated high above the building. But the thing that shocked them the most was the massive Noxian castle floating in the sky.


	2. Chapter 2

Irelia stared at the fortress levitating high above the ground, utterly stumped as to what was happening. Was this a Noxian invasion? Although...

If Noxus had a mage with this much potential power, Ionia would have already been already been ground to dust. They barely won last time, and it was Irelia herself who turned the tides, but staring into the power of this mage made her feel like a child again.

Irelia observed and realised that maybe, maybe it was using up a lot of power to hold up the tower. The ruins are vibrating at impossible speeds, as if the mage was... Straining? Maybe... She'd have a chance. Maybe-

It was when the the ruins stopped shaking that she realised that something was going to happen. Irelia grabbed Karma and the boy and ducked into a corner, hoping for the best.

Irelia felt an etherial blast pass through the air, revealing a miniscule portion of the mage's power. Not only did the ruins rocket towards the earth, but the world around them seemed to shatter under its power, an impenetrable pressure that rendered the air almost impossible to breathe.

She felt her breath leave her before a darkness crept over her.

 _Irelia! I'm here for you! Please don't leave me!_

 _Darkness_

 _Irelia, you saved me! Don't do this! Just live!_

 _A light_

 _Irelia, don't give up! You will get through this! I believe in you!_

 _A voice_

 _I am here! I will save you!_

 _Warm hands cupped her cheek_

 _Wake up!_

Riven dug desperately through the rubble. Where was Irelia? Where the fuck was Irelia?

Come on, come on, come on!

She said she was here, so where the fuck was she? When she first heard about the attack she ran. She borrowed (stole) a horse from the stable to rush here. She came all the way here to find find her dearest friend. When she saw that everything had been reduced to rubble she could do nothing but to frantically run around the grounds, hoping that she would not find Irelia in shreds. Anything but that...

It was a shouting that alerted her to a presence. It did not sound like Irelia, but Riven could only hope that there was some deity up in heaven.

'Come on, come on, come on!'

Riven was throwing the boulders away haphazardly, desperately clawing her way into the screaming pile of rubble. If only she had come faster. If only she had stayed by Irelia's side, if only...

The crying from below the rubble grew louder and Riven dug faster, But the search soon rewarded her with the voice of what seemed to be a child. But if she couldn't find one of the most important people in her life and she let this young boy die, she would never be able to live with herself. Ever with a heavy heart and her expression schooled into one of determination and solemn coolness, she pulled apart the rocks to see what she definitely had not ever expected to see: a bright green shield glowing under the floor.

When the final boulder was removed, she realised that she was in fact staring at the protective barrier that Karma had set up to protect them from certain death. In the middle of the bubble, it was the crumpled from of Irelia that made her heart beat faster. Her palms started to sweat, her breath becoming faster and fainter, just as Irelia's was.

'She's fine.'

'What?'

'She is okay.'

'Irelia?'

'She wouldn't have died even if I weren't here.'

The levitating blades that held up the walls, the ones that stopped the walls from collapsing onto the trio, stood steadfast, showing no signs of ever moving. Riven was finally rewarded for her efforts when the rubble that covered Karma, Irelia and the pageboy was finally removed. Riven hurried jumped down to see Irelia.

Riven cupped Irelia's face in her hand, hoping that soon her friend would awake.

'Wake up!'

When the brown orbs finally revealed themselves to Riven, she let out a sigh of relief. She had been hoping, but she was never sure…

'Riven?'

Irelia quickly found herself trapped within two warm arms.

'Ahem. Sorry to disrupt your cute little reunion, but we have a bigger problem in our hands. A problem the size of a Noxian fortress, perhaps.'

'I'm going.'

'I am coming this time to make sure you don't try kill yourself again.'

'I wasn-'

'And I'm not taking no for an answer.'

Riven took this chance to sling Irelia over her shoulder to carry her to the hospital.

They stood on the edge of the levitating fortress, staring at Ionia. A lone man and woman watched as the sun slowly inched towards the horizon, framing the city in a beautiful light. It was almost romantic, as the two of them made it their own mission to see the country fall. It was quite nice watching the twilight, and just the thought of a reformed Ionia made their hearts race. Of course, to build a new Ionia, the old one had to be knocked down.

'Syndra, Syndra. We can work together, and that city there, will be ours before we can blink.'

'Shut it. I can do it by myself. They can't stand up to me.'

'Well, what fun is it just to crush an ants nest? Why stomp it out when we can play around?'

'SHUT IT. I don't trust you. I don't want to lower my guard just to have you to backstab me.'

'Oh, but if I wanted you dead, then you would be.'

'IS THAT A CHALLENGE, WEAKLING?' Syndra's eyes glowed an unnatural purple.

The man rose his hands placatingly, 'Of course not. We both know you will crush me in a fair fight.'

Syndra huffed, sitting on the ledge of the floating platform. A flash of steel and a blade stopped a hair's breadth from her neck. Syndra stiffed.

'However, it would not be IMPOSSIBLE to kill you.'

Syndra hissed through gritted teeth. 'What do you want.'

The man chuckled. 'Nothing. I just don't want YOU to die before my plan comes from fruition. I offer you a deal, Sovereign. I teach you how to not get killed by assassins, and you don't kill me. How's that?'

'Fine. Get that nasty blade away from me.'

The man let out a small laugh, his eyes suddenly caught to the horizon.

'I see some of your friends are coming for a _visit._ Please tell them I have said my greetings.'

Syndra turned to scold the man once more, but there was no trace of him anymore. _Evidently doing something else stupid again._

'What do you want.'

Syndra stared at the duo, unamused. The two women stood before her, having come up on levitating blades.

'I am Irelia-'

'- the Captain from the Guard, the trusted protecter of Ionia yada yada and you are her Noxian exile lover. Once again, what do you want.'

'But I'm not-'

'I don't care. Just state your purpose and leave.'

'Stop attacking our country. Why are you Noxians attacking us? We haven't done anything to Noxus in years. Why are-'

'My name is Syndra'

'- you guys still alive?'

Irelia was shocked, but evidently Riven was not. Riven was confused.

'Irelia, what is going on? Why are you shocked?'

'Honey,' Irelia ignored the gagging noises coming from Syndra, 'She was supposed to have died two years ago.'

Syndra scowled, 'Because you left me for dead. Now, if that is all, get off my castle.'

Riven and Irelia looked at each other and nodded. 'Please, do not do anything more. We wish not to use violence, and it would not end well for you. I understand that you are strong, but we do not want to harm you.'

It took all of three words for Syndra's blood to begin to boil. _It will not end well for me? Harm me? These pathetic creatures think they can even touch me? I will…_

When Syndra's eyes began to glow, Riven reached for her sword just as Irelia blades turned towards the mage. 'You think… Aha… You can… Ahaha… Even touch a hair on my head? Ahahahaha!'

With a pulse of pure energy, Riven and Irelia were knocked backwards the walls. Riven stuck her sword into the ground, stopping her impromptu launchoff, pushing off the ground at throwing herself back at Syndra. Syndra threw a wave of pure magical power at Riven, but for a war-hardened veteran, it was too easy to read and thus was able to dodge the wave. Syndra's eyes turned to slits, telekinetically grabbing Riven's arms. However, Riven's legs kepted travelling, and it clear that she would hit Syndra, but Syndra just smirked. She used her abilities to throw Riven into the walls like a ragdoll, the Noxian hitting the wall with a sickening crunch.

So it was a huge surprise that she started to fly backwards, with a knee in her stomach. Syndra coughed as Irelia punched her in the face. Syndra collapsed onto the floor, groaning and clutching her stomach. A hovering blade tapped her under the chin, forcing her head up to look into the Captain.

'We win.'

A dark chuckle slipped out of Syndra's mouth.

'You should see how your honey-bunny lovey-dovey Riven is doing.'

Irelia turned her head to see a man in black armour holding Riven hostage.

'Master of Shadows'

A chuckle. 'Will of the blades'

'Let Riven go, or else I will kill Syndra.'

The man laughed. 'Do you think Syndra's necessary in my plans? Of course not. It would clearly be more convenient, but feel free to kill Syndra, if you don't mind Riven's head being separated from her body.'

'Or yours to be separated from your shoulders.'

Both Shen and Akali appeared, holding their respective blades to Zed's head. Zed laughed boisteriously and said 'Do you think this is my real body? This is nothing but a shadow. Feel free to dismember this body, if you don't me dismembering the lovely lady in front of me.'

Zed swung at Riven, who tried to block it, but it was obvious that it was a lost cause.

'Stop.'

Zed chuckled. 'That's my girl.'

The levitating blade left the Sovereign's throat.

'Why are you doing this, Zed? What do you wish to gain from this?'

A dark figure came from the shadows. Glowing red eyes indicated that this was the real Zed.

'Why should you care? You won't live to see the fruition of my plans.'

And on that final note, Zed vanished, leaving only the trace of shadow behind.

Syndra saw that she was now vastly outnumbered. By she was not scared. She will not make the same mistake again. Syndra surrounded herself in a magical shield just as Shen's dagger left his hand, the blade bouncing harmlessly off the forcefield. She levitated off the platform, now staring at the insects that she was going to crush beneath her heel. Summoning a large aura sphere in her hand, she flung it carelessly towards the ground.

'LEAVE!'

And when the orb struck the ground, a force-wave pulsed outwards, knocking everyone off the fortress. Syndra watched as the imbeciles below either fling themselves off the edge, or get blasted off the edge. The three ninjas merely vanished.

Wind blew through the courtyard, running through Syndra's hair. She stood panting, scowling at the place that once stood the mortals that once stood up to her. She walked to the edge of the platform, watching the retreating figures of her nemeses run into the distance, the cowrds that they were.

'Zed.'

The armoured man walked out from the shadows, chuckling audibly. He walked to Syndra and patted her arm. She flinched.

'Why?'

'I want you to stay alive.'

'Why?'

Another chuckle. Zed stared out into the horizon, the city of Ionia glowing in the backlight of the sunset. Zed sat down.

'That.'

Syndra hovered next to Zed.

'Yes.'


	3. Chapter 3

Irelia stared at the fortress levitating high above the ground, utterly stumped as to what was happening. Was this a Noxian invasion? Although...

If Noxus had a mage with this much potential power, Ionia would have already been already been ground to dust. They barely won last time, and it was Irelia herself who turned the tides, but staring into the power of this mage made her feel like a child again.

Irelia observed and realised that maybe, maybe it was using up a lot of power to hold up the tower. The ruins are vibrating at impossible speeds, as if the mage was... Straining? Maybe... She'd have a chance. Maybe-

It was when the the ruins stopped shaking that she realised that something was going to happen. Irelia grabbed Karma and the boy and ducked into a corner, hoping for the best.

She was wrong. The shaking was Syndra straining to _hold back_ her power.

Irelia felt an etherial blast pass through the air, revealing a miniscule portion of the mage's power. Not only did the ruins rocket towards the earth, but the world around them seemed to shatter under its power, an impenetrable pressure that rendered the air almost impossible to breathe.

She felt the breath leave her lungs before the darkness crept over her.

 _Irelia! I'm here for you! Please don't leave me!_

 _Darkness_

 _Irelia, you saved me! Don't do this! Just live!_

 _A light_

 _Irelia, don't give up! You will get through this! I believe in you!_

 _A voice_

 _I am here! I will save you!_

 _Warm hands cupped her cheek_

 _Wake up!_

Riven dug desperately through the rubble. Where was Irelia? Where the fuck was Irelia?

Come on, come on, come on!

She said she was here, so where the fuck was she? When she first heard about the attack she ran. She borrowed (stole) a horse from the stable to rush here. She came all the way here to find find her dearest friend. When she saw that everything had been reduced to rubble she could do nothing but to frantically run around the grounds, hoping that she would not find Irelia in shreds. Anything but that...

It was a shouting that alerted her to a presence. It did not sound like Irelia, but Riven could only hope that there was some deity up in heaven.

'Come on, come on, come on!'

Riven was throwing the boulders away haphazardly, desperately clawing her way into the screaming pile of rubble. If only she had come faster. If only she had stayed by Irelia's side, if only...

The crying from below the rubble grew louder and Riven dug faster, But the search soon rewarded her with the voice of what seemed to be a child. But if she couldn't find one of the most important people in her life and she let this young boy die, she would never be able to live with herself. Ever with a heavy heart and her expression schooled into one of determination and solemn coolness, she pulled apart the rocks to see what she definitely had not ever expected to see: a bright green shield glowing under the floor.

When the final boulder was removed, she realised that she was in fact staring at the protective barrier that Karma had set up to protect them from certain death. In the middle of the bubble was the crumpled form of Irelia that made her heart beat faster. Her palms started to sweat, her breath becoming faster and fainter, just as Irelia's was.

'She's fine.'

'What?'

'She is okay.'

'Irelia?'

'She wouldn't have died even if I weren't here.'

The levitating blades that held up the walls, the ones that stopped the walls from collapsing onto the trio, stood steadfast, showing no signs of ever moving. Riven was finally rewarded for her efforts when the rubble that covered Karma, Irelia and the pageboy was finally removed. Riven hurried jumped down to see Irelia.

Riven cupped Irelia's face in her hand, hoping that soon her friend would awake.

'Wake up!'

When the brown orbs finally revealed themselves to Riven, she let out a sigh of relief. She had been hoping, but she was never sure…

'Riven?'

Irelia quickly found herself trapped within two warm arms.

'Ahem. Sorry to disrupt your cute little reunion, but we have a bigger problem in our hands. A problem the size of a Noxian fortress, perhaps.' Karma chuckled at the sight.

'I'm going to stop this madness.'

'And I am coming this time to make sure you don't try kill yourself again.' Riven was adamant.

'I wasn-'

'And I'm not taking no for an answer.'

Riven took this chance to sling Irelia over her shoulder to carry her to the hospital.

They stood on the edge of the levitating fortress, staring at Ionia. A lone man and woman watched as the sun slowly inched towards the horizon, framing the city in a beautiful light. It was almost romantic, as the two of them made it their own mission to see the country fall. It was quite nice watching the twilight, and just the thought of a reformed Ionia made their hearts race. Of course, to build a new Ionia, the old one had to be knocked down.

'Syndra, Syndra. We can work together, and that city there, will be ours before we can blink.'

'Shut it. I can do it by myself. They can't stand up to me.'

'Well, what fun is it just to crush an ants nest? Why stomp it out when we can play around?'

'SHUT IT. I don't trust you. I don't want to lower my guard just to have you to backstab me.'

'Oh, but if I wanted you dead, then you would be.'

'IS THAT A CHALLENGE, WEAKLING?' Syndra's eyes glowed an unnatural purple.

The man rose his hands placatingly, 'Of course not. We both know you will crush me in a fair fight.'

Syndra huffed, sitting on the ledge of the floating platform. A flash of steel and a blade stopped a hair's breadth from her neck. Syndra stiffed.

'However, it would not be IMPOSSIBLE to kill you.'

Syndra hissed through gritted teeth. 'What do you want.'

The man chuckled. 'Nothing. I just don't want YOU to die before my plan comes from fruition. I offer you a deal, Sovereign. I teach you how to not get killed by assassins, and you don't kill me. How's that?'

'Fine. Get that nasty blade away from me.'

The man let out a small laugh, his eyes suddenly caught to the horizon.

'I see some of your friends are coming for a _visit._ Please tell them I have said my greetings.'

Syndra turned to scold the man once more, but the only trace left of him was a shadow. _Evidently doing something else stupid again._

'What do you want.'

Syndra stared at the duo, unamused. The two women stood before her, having come up on levitating blades.

'I am Irelia-'

'- the Captain from the Guard, the trusted protector of Ionia yada yada and you are her Noxian exile lover. Once again, what do you want?'

'But I'm not-'

'I don't care. Just state your purpose and leave.'

'Stop attacking our country. Why are you Noxians attacking us? We haven't done anything to Noxus in years. Why are-'

'My name is Syndra'

'- you're still alive?'

Irelia was shocked, but evidently Riven was not. Riven was confused.

'Irelia, what is going on? Why are you shocked?'

'Honey,' Irelia ignored the gagging noises coming from Syndra, 'She was supposed to have died two years ago.'

Syndra scowled, 'Because you left me for dead. Now, if that is all, get off my castle.'

Riven and Irelia looked at each other and nodded. 'Please, do not do anything more. We wish not to use violence, and it would not end well for you. I understand that you are strong, but we do not want to harm you.'

It took all of three words for Syndra's blood to begin to boil. _It will not end well for me? Harm me? These pathetic creatures think they can even touch me? I will…_

When Syndra's eyes began to glow, Riven reached for her sword just as Irelia blades turned towards the mage. 'You think… Aha… You can… Ahaha… Even touch a hair on my head? Ahahahaha!'

With a pulse of pure energy, Riven and Irelia were knocked backwards the walls. Riven stuck her sword into the ground, stopping her impromptu launch-off, pushing off the ground at throwing herself back at Syndra. Syndra threw a wave of pure magical power at Riven, but for a war-hardened veteran, it was too easy to read and thus was able to dodge the wave. Syndra's eyes turned to slits, telekinetically grabbing Riven's arms. However, Riven's legs kepted travelling, and it clear that she would hit Syndra, but Syndra just smirked. She used her abilities to throw Riven into the walls like a ragdoll, the Noxian hitting the wall with a sickening crunch.

So it was a huge surprise that she started to fly backwards, with a knee in her stomach. Syndra coughed as Irelia punched her in the face. Syndra collapsed onto the floor, groaning and clutching her stomach. A hovering blade tapped her under the chin, forcing her head up to look into the Captain.

'We win.'

A dark chuckle slipped out of Syndra's mouth.

'You should see how your honey-bunny lovey-dovey Riven is doing.'

Irelia turned her head to see a man in black armour holding Riven hostage.

'Master of Shadows'

A chuckle escaped him. 'Will of the Blades'

'Let Riven go, or else I will kill Syndra.'

The man laughed. 'Do you think Syndra's necessary in my plans? Of course not. It would clearly be more convenient, but feel free to kill Syndra, if you don't mind Riven's head being separated from her body.'

'Or yours to be separated from your shoulders.'

Both Shen and Akali appeared, holding their respective blades to Zed's head. Zed laughed boisteriously and said 'Do you think this is my real body? This is nothing but a shadow. Feel free to dismember this body, if you don't me dismembering the lovely lady in front of me.'

Zed swung at Riven, who tried to block it, but it was obvious that it was a lost cause.

'Stop.'

Zed chuckled. 'That's my girl.'

The levitating blade left the Sovereign's throat.

'Why are you doing this, Zed? What do you wish to gain from this?'

A dark figure came from the shadows. Glowing red eyes indicated that this was the real Zed.

'Why should you care? You won't live to see the fruition of my plans.'

And on that final note, Zed vanished, leaving only the trace of shadow behind.

Syndra saw that she was now vastly outnumbered. By she was not scared. She will not make the same mistake again. Syndra surrounded herself in a magical shield just as Shen's dagger left his hand, the blade bouncing harmlessly off the forcefield. She levitated off the platform, now staring at the insects that she was going to crush beneath her heel. Summoning a large aura sphere in her hand, she flung it carelessly towards the ground.

'LEAVE!'

And when the orb struck the ground, a force-wave pulsed outwards, knocking everyone off the fortress. Syndra watched as the imbeciles below either flung themselves off the edge, or got blasted off the edge. The three ninjas merely vanished.

Wind blew through the courtyard, running through Syndra's hair. She stood panting, scowling at the place that once stood the mortals that once stood up to her. She walked to the edge of the platform, watching the retreating figures of her nemeses run into the distance, the cowards that they were.

'Zed.'

The armoured man walked out from the shadows, chuckling audibly. He walked to Syndra and patted her arm. She flinched.

'Why?'

'I want you to stay alive.'

'Why?'

Another chuckle. Zed stared out into the horizon, the city of Ionia glowing in the backlight of the sunset. Zed sat down.

'That.'

Syndra hovered next to Zed.

'Yes.'


	4. Chapter 4

'I call for this insect to be crushed immediately! If we do not do this, we would be forfeiting more members of Ionia to be slaughtered!'

It was no surprise to Irelia that the person endorsing this was the General. The brute only cared for violence and thought only with his fists. However, what concerned her was that there were murmurs of consent that agreed with this meathead. Have they never heard of diplomacy? No one ever bothered agreeing to this caveman, deeming him too violent and too 'non-conforming' to Ionian ideals, one that promoted balance rather than discord, peace rather than violence. So what changed?

 _You know what changed. Things changed when that mage decided to strike into the heart of the most secure place in Ionia. People are scared. Chaos is coming. Without a reassurance that they will be safe, the people are panicking. If the most secure place in the country was demolished in a mere hour or so, how could they possibly be safe? The councillors are trying to nip the seed of evil and chaos at its bud. What better way to placate the people that by straight out removing the source of panic of the people?_

 _But they could have done something else. The first solution of any problem should not be violence. Once again, we can just come back to delegation. What could go wrong?_

The devil on her shoulder laughed at the angel on her other shoulder.

 _You mean that time that you and Riven both nearly got obliterated by that other person who will not hesitate to blast you into oblivion? Remember what you were trying to do before you nearly got your ass wiped by that monster? That's right. Delegation. Fighting fire with fire, that's what this is. If you don't fight it, it will grow until your whole world burns down into cinders._

The angel on her shoulder was worryingly silent.

Another spoke up, this time, the voice immediately shut the rest of the elders up, if only out of respect and fear of her power.

'Going by Ionian values, it would be an insult to even consider that as a first option. Even going under the assumption that she would not agree to anything related to peace, it does not mean that we have to kill her. Does the blood on your hands not bother you? Does it not bring you shame? We can simply seal her power. With the sheer number of mages we have, it should not be any problem to seal her power. We have dealt with much more powerful foe with this more peaceful resolution. Remember Ahri? Not only did we seal her power, but we also convinced her to return to us, both as an asset and as a powerful ally. If Syndra returned to serve Ionia, we would have a powerful ally and friend.'

Murmurs of assent spread across the room. Irelia immediately felt a wave of nausea, a sheen of sweat forming on her forehead. What had she become? Was she no different from General Holchem, a warrior that knew not of peace? Looking back, she realised that she had been solving all her problems with brute force alone for many years now, and she did not know what that meant for her as a human. Had she devolved into a monster with an insatiable lust for blood?

As Irelia's mood spiralled down into the depths of depression, a light voice banished all self-depreciating comments from her mind.

'Are you okay, Irelia?'

Shimmering hazel eyes stared back into the soulful eyes of the Enlightened One, concern etched clearly into the features of the Elder.

Irelia sighed, looking down at the table. 'Am I still an Ionian? If I was Ionian, then why are my thoughts filled with violence? Am I no longer following the light?'

Karma shook her head gracefully. 'You are still following the path that is right, my child. You have failed to see that success that you have brought to this land, blinded by the doubt of your actions. You have saved the country many times over, and never were you the one to lash out, strike when it was unnecessary. Only when peace was no longer a choice did you strike.'

'Your thoughts are not filled with violence, Irelia. They seem like violence, because the options that are laid before are all violent, but that was beyond your reach. Do not doubt yourself, Irelia. You must relax. In fact, I relieve you of your duty to Ionia for the next month.'

Irelia stared at her, mouth agape. 'I'm getting fired?'

'Think of it as a mandatory break. Take a holiday with your beloved. The Captain of the Guard must not work too hard, for then she will be energised when we truly need her.'

Karma was impossible to defeat in a verbal battle. 'Fine. And Riven isn't my beloved!'

'I never mentioned Riven.'

'Oh. Right.'

Suddenly, Irelia felt the urge to punch the Enlightened One's smirk right off that smug face. As Karma just said, violence is necessary in certain situations right? Well, it seems like it would very, very necessary right now.

Karma, sensing her impending doom, smiled and swiftly exited the room. Irelia just stood there, fuming at the door.

The floating fortress hovered high above the ground. It was barely a speck in the sky and unless you were looking for it, you would not have found it. So it was a surprise when a loud rapping woke Syndra from her slumber.

'Who dares wake the sovereign from her slumber? Do they wish to be obliterated? It can be arranged.' Syndra grumbled, eyes blinking blearily.

By the time Syndra had reached the front door of the fortress, the rapping had turned into loud banging. Syndra slammed the door open unceremoniously and summoned a large purple orb out of thin air, hurling it at the people standing by the door. A tall man with a large axe knocked it to the side with the blade, glaring at the woman.

'What do you want, mortals?'

The large man made to lunge at the mage, but a hand stopped him from doing so. The smaller man, a peculiar man with an equally peculiar bird, right hand wielding a cane and a bandana obscuring part of his face.

'Forgive me, Syndra. My name is Swain. This is my right-hand man, Darius. We seek to destroy Ionia. Although not as powerful as you, we do have many men who are willing to fight for me. Will you aid us on our quest to crush the weak-willed pests that live in that country?'

'No. I smell weakness radiating from you, and I do not wish to associate myself with that trash.'

Darius growled in a husky voice, 'Watch what you say, woman, or I will be forced to separate your head from your body. He's our Gr-'

Darius' speech was interrupted by him smashing into the wall. Syndra hovered in place, her eyes glowing purple and her eyes furrowed into a frown. 'You do NOT get to talk to me that way, human. Say what you want, but do not pretend you are strong in MY presence. Do you understand, you worms?'

Swain remained unmoved. 'My apologies.. It was not my intention to irate you. I wish to apologise for my partner's actions. He did not mean to anger you.'

The larger man grunted as he pulled himself of the ground, dusting himself off casually

.

'We are simply here to hold an alliance of sorts. If you are most gracious and are willing to lend some of your infinite power, we are most willing to give you information.'

Syndra's eyes narrowed, her eyes returning to normal. However, the unholy echo that her voice always carried still remained. 'What use do I have for information? Information is only useful if you do not have the means to directly destroy them.'

The floating fortress began to grow and vibrate with immense untapped power, 'but as you can see, that would not apply to me. I am an immortal goddess with immeasurable power. How could you even aid me?'

Swain remained unimpressed, but respectful. 'I don't doubt you could crush anyone that opposed you. In fact, that is one of the reason that I came to you. I wish for Noxus to stay intact. Even if information does not make you stronger, it makes crushing your enemies that much easier.

Intelligence on where they are harboured, where they gather, all will help assert your domination on the world.'

Syndra quietened. There was nothing to lose and much to gain. They would not dare hurt her. She accepted.

'Fine. But if you try betray me…'

The rumble of the fortress indeed showed that if she were to be betrayed, it would not bade well for the two Noxians. However, as war-hardened veterans with facades of steel, they moved not a muscle at the obvious threat. Swain only nodded silently and Darius remained impassive as always.

'We wouldn't dare.'

There was no love in the physical bonding between Syndra and Zed. They could barely call each other friends, let alone lovers. They used each other, a tool for their hedonistic ideals, to quench their lust, both for physical pleasure and to vent out their frustrations in life.

Syndra knew that Zed was not on her level. He was merely a servant that could help her in dire times and in ways that she couldn't provide for herself. She was a goddess and to even be in her presence was a treasured honour. Despite their 'leagues' and the fact she was way above Zed's, Syndra could not deny that Zed was an attractive man beneath the helmet and she was close enough to him use him to feed her sexual desires.

Zed was also using Syndra. He could not take down Ionia by himself. If he was able to use Syndra, manipulating Syndra into singlehandedly destroying Ionia, he would have his work cut out for him. As long as he sided with this mage, he would be fine in whatever new world that would be established in the future. The sex was really a boon that came along with the plan. Excluding the pleasure itself, it was also a way to force himself into the heart of the mage. However, it was becoming clear to Zed that Syndra was not letting herself get controlled by him, both because of a lack of love and respect she has of him, and also that she was obviously so emotionally stunted that it was unlikely she knew what love was at all. Not that he was a particular romantic at heart.

They both like to think that the time they spend together does not go to waste. Zed spends a lot of his time with Syndra training her reflexes and how to deal with assassins. As Syndra has no chance of losing in a conventional battle due to her massive power, the only way to beat her would have to be to catch her off-guard with an assassination. A dead Syndra cannot help Zed achieve his goals, so he invested his time turning Syndra into a flawless fighting machine. In this time, Syndra displays her generosity as a benevolent god by allowing a worthless mortal to share a castle with her and gracing him with enough of her time for her to heed his responses.

Despite their physical intimacy, they would not be in any way emotionally intimate. Syndra likes him the most of all the Ionians she has met in her lifetime, but thinking about all the other Ionians make her want to fly into a frenzy of unrelenting rage, so achieving that is not surprising in the least. Zed is much the same, except he knows better than to let his feelings get the better of him. His and Shen's father being the primary example.

But the question regarding the events of earlier were brought up when they were both sweaty and exhausted. Syndra had her eyes closed, hearing and feeling the world around her. Zed was trying to hit the mage with his throwing stars. Through gruelling hours of blood, sweat and tears, Syndra was now effortlessly blocking all of his shots with her magic. But the hours of training that she received took a toll on her body, her gesturing arms starting to weary. Zed also had seen better days, his movements becoming increasingly sluggish. But they both took on a façade of calm and ease, but if one looks closely, the sheen of sweat of their foreheads gave their fatigue away.

'Who were the men that you had addressed at the door?'

Syndra snapped at Zed, one eye popping open, her purple pupil turning milky with power. 'Why do you care? You are just a lowly human, Master of Shadows. Learn your place. Don't question me, worm.'

Zed chuckled, finding such behaviours amusing. 'Of course not, Sovereign. However, I would like to know if I know these people, if to better help you understand them.'

Syndra huffed, both her eyes fully opening, the traces of hazy white disappearing completely. 'There were two men. One was a man who goes by the name of Swain, with his right hand man, Darius.'

Zed nodded thoughtfully. 'Swain, the Grand General of Noxus and his right hand man, Darius, the Hand of Noxus.'

Syndra narrowed her eyes. 'You know those worthless maggots?'

Zed shook his head. 'I have only heard tales of them. Being the leader of one of the most ferocious city-states in Runeterra, Noxus, makes them famous. What did he ask for?'

Syndra held up her hand, gathering a mere drop of the vast amounts of pure energy in her magical reservoir, molding it into the shape of a glowing purple orb. 'This.'

Zed nodded, as if to himself, and spoke up. 'Syndra. The Noxian people cannot be trusted. They are known for their lies, their dishonourable mentalities. I do not doubt that you could beat them if you so wished, but I would rather you not die.'

Syndra laughed a hollow, angry laugh. 'Those maggots won't even try. If they are intelligent enough to run a city-state, then they are smart enough not to incite the irritation of the most powerful being in this universe.'

Zed stared at Syndra in silence.

'As you wish.' Zed finally said, signalling the end of the conversation.


End file.
